Freedom From the Mosaic Law

Transcript

GR 1433
05/30/10
Freedom from the Mosaic Law
Romans 7:1-6
Gil Rugh

We're studying the book of Romans together, so turn in your Bibles to chapter 7, if you will. When the letter to the Romans was originally written, of course it had no chapter divisions or verse divisions. It was basically an extensive letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church at Rome. We've broken it down into chapters and verses to make it a little easier for us to find our way through. And when we come to Romans 7 we do come to a new subject but not a new subject. Maybe another emphasis on what he has been talking about. Of course the whole book of Romans, if you have been here for our study from the beginning, is about the gospel. Paul started out the letter to the Romans by saying that he had been set apart for the gospel of God. The gospel is the good news of God. He told the Romans in Romans 1:15 that he was eager to come to Rome and preach the gospel to them also. And he told them, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it [the gospel] is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” For it's in the gospel that “the righteousness of God is revealed” and it's “from faith to faith” because the righteous shall live by faith. So it's this gospel that is being unfolded. And after having shown us our sinful condition, the condemnation that our sin has brought upon us, he moved to talk about the righteousness of God that is provided for sinners, that is revealed in the gospel, that enables sinful people to be declared righteous by a holy God, to be accepted by God and welcomed into His family.

Now the gospel not only saves us from the penalty of sin, its condemnation, but it also saves us from the power of sin. So with chapter 6, Paul began to develop more clearly and fully how the righteousness that has been credited to us in Christ, the change that has been brought to us as those who have been “born again,” is lived out in our daily lives. In chapter 6 he showed how that our identification with Christ in His death, His burial and His resurrection set us free from the power, domination of sin. We no longer are under the authority of sin, the control of sin, and the condemnation that that brings. We have been set free. How did it happen? The penalty for sin is death, but Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for us, and when we believe in Him we are identified by the Spirit of God with Christ in His death, His burial and His resurrection to new life. That was the focal point in Romans 6, showing how sin has been dealt with and we have been set free. Sin was a key word in chapter 6, it appears 17 or 18 times.

We come to Romans 7, the subject has changed but it is not changed. By that I mean we are still talking about the gospel, we're still talking about how our identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection sets us free. But in chapter 7 we are not talking about being set free from sin as we were in chapter 6. We're talking now in chapter 7 about being set free from the power and authority of the Mosaic Law, the Law given to Moses. The word “Law” appears in Romans 7 about 17 or 18 times. But you get the idea, the focal point of what he is talking about. You will note, as we move into this chapter, especially the first six verses, they will follow very closely the first six verses of chapter 6. Only in chapter 7 he will be talking about the Law. In chapter 6 he was talking about sin. But in both settings he'll be talking about our identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection that sets us free from the power and authority of sin and sets us free from the power and authority of the Mosaic Law.

Paul begins chapter 7 by asking that question, “Or do you not know?” And he asks that same question back in chapter 6 verse 3: “Or do you not know?” Same exact expression. In fact, that particular wording only appears those two times. He uses a similar expression in meaning down in verse 16 of chapter 6: “Do you not know?” These questions basically are used when Paul would be assuming something, that they know these truths. But there is a problem, they are not being worked out in their lives the way they should be. So as we have noted before, it is something similar to what we might ask our children when they do something and they should know better. We would say, “Don't you know any better? Don't you know you shouldn't do that?” Well in asking the question we are implying that you know this, but you haven't acted in light of it. That is similar to Paul's idea. Do you not know these truths? They are foundational, they are basic. This is the gospel that we are talking about and how it is worked out in a life when a person truly has believed. Don't you know these basic things? The follow-up question, then why aren't you acting differently?

There is a problem in the church at Rome, it is a Gentile church. Come back to Romans 1:5. Paul talks about his own ministry: “Through [Jesus Christ] whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.” So he says that this church at Rome is made up primarily of Gentiles. My apostleship focuses on a ministry to Gentiles and you Gentiles in Rome are among that group, “among whom [among the Gentiles, from the previous verse], you also are the called of Jesus Christ.” Down in verse 13: “I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. For I am under obligation both to Greeks and the barbarians.” So you see the focus in this letter, he's writing to a Gentile church.

But something is happening in this church that happened in other churches that Paul established in Gentile areas—Jewish teachers came in, Jews who had professed to believe in Jesus Christ. Those of you who are familiar with the book of Acts, in Acts 15 there was a conference held in Jerusalem over this very subject. Jews who had professed faith in Christ were saying that faith in Christ alone is not enough, you must also be circumcised and keep the Mosaic Law. And it became confusing because these are Jews, they are professing to believe that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel, by His death He provided salvation, you must believe in Him. But you must also submit yourself to the authority and requirements of the Mosaic Law. Now these Jewish teachers would come into a Gentile church like at Rome. It happened also in the churches of Galatia which were Gentile churches Paul had established in the region of Galatia, and he writes the letter to the Galatians to correct the same problem. These Jewish teachers would come in and confront these Gentile believers and these Gentile believers are learning the Old Testament but they do not grasp it like these Jews do obviously. The Jews had been raised with the Old Testament scriptures. These Gentiles are new believers coming out of paganism and so on. These Jewish teachers come in and say, “you know it's wonderful you've believed in Jesus Christ, and that is essential, but it is not enough. You must also submit yourself to the requirements of the Law that God gave to Moses to complete your salvation, or to live the life that God wants you to live.”

So Paul is correcting that. He has referred to the Mosaic Law a number of times in the letter to the Romans. Go back to Romans 2:12, where he is talking about: “There is no partiality with God. For all who have sinned without the Law [and he's talking about the Law given to Moses] will also perish without the Law, all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.” And if you were here, that does not mean you can be justified by keeping the Law.

Come down to Romans 3:19: “We know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law.” The Law was given to Jews, it was never given to Gentiles. It was for the nation Israel, so it is addressed to Jews. It is addressed to Jews: “So that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight.” For by the Law is the knowledge of sin, but that doesn't save you. So you see he is talking about the Mosaic Law and here to this Gentile church he has to draw their attention to the Law, its purpose, its weaknesses, its proper use, and remind them that you can't be saved by keeping the Law. It is not part of God's plan of salvation for you.

Down in Romans 5:20, there are a number of references in these early chapters, we don't need to look at them all. Look at Romans 5:20: “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And this reign of grace replaced the reign of sin, it replaces the reign of the Law. So the Law came in, all that it did was show the magnitude of sin because grace is greater than our sin and it reigns. That's what Paul is talking about in chapter 6 and 7, the reign of grace.

But these Judaizing teachers want to put Christians back under the reign of the Law. This is a problem today. Many in what is called “reformed theology” or “covenantal theology” believe John Calvin, that there is a use of the Law, that believers should live under the Law today as part of their responsibility before God. That is not true, and that's what Romans 7 is about. Perhaps the most controversial chapter in the whole book of Romans is what is found in chapter 7, and the controversy will focus primarily on the last half of the chapter, but we'll work through this chapter.

Beginning with verse 1: “Do you not know, brethren.” He is writing to them as fellow believers and so this is something they should know. What's the problem? Why are you accepting this kind of teaching? Why are you being confused? “Do you not know, brethren, (for I am speaking to those who know the law).” Now he's not just speaking to Jews but any Jewish believers would be included here in the church at Rome. Any Gentiles who had been proselytes to Judaism before their conversion to Christ would be included here, as well as Gentiles, because these Gentiles in the church at Rome who had come to trust in Christ, what did they have for the scriptures? The Old Testament. So they would be studying the Old Testament and learning it to learn about God's plan and purposes in providing a Savior and so on, seeing the need for a sacrifice to come that would be acceptable to God. So they are those who know the Law. You are believers, you are expected to know the scriptures.

“That the Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?” We're talking about the Mosaic Law. This is consistent in the book of Romans, when Paul is talking about the Law he is talking about the Mosaic Law. Some say he is just talking about a principle of law here. That might seem to work for a couple of verses here, but it becomes clear the Mosaic Law is the issue, as it has been in the preceding chapters when he has addressed the Law. What is the relationship of the believer to the Mosaic Law, which includes the Ten Commandments, which is the most familiar portion of the Mosaic Law – the ten words, the Ten Commandments given to Moses on tablets of stone on Mt. Sinai? You understand that the law of Moses governed the life of Israel from Exodus 19 to Acts 2, basically. I mean, you can understand they are going back to the Old Testament, they say we must have to live under the Law. And these Judaizing teachers come and say you are obligated to keep the Law. How much of what God has said is giving His Law?

The Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives. Now you can see the connection if you were here for chapter 6 because chapter 6, verse 1 opened up: “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be! How should we who died to sin still live in it?” So you see the connection is the same. The power of sin and the authority of sin in a life is broken when you place your faith in Christ. Now that's where he is going in chapter 7 with the Law. The Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives. But you'll note what he is going to develop—those in Christ have died. That word jurisdiction, we have seen it already in chapter 6. Go back to Romans 6:14: “For sin shall not be master over you.” That word translated “be master” is the same word we have translated “have jurisdiction” in chapter 7 verse 1. In chapter 6 verse 14: “Sin shall not be master over you,” have jurisdiction over you, lord it over you. Related to the word we have with the Lord Jesus Christ, a form of that word—to be a lord, to be a master, to have authority or jurisdiction. In fact, chapter 6 verse 14, we have a summary of chapters 6 and 7. Chapter 6 verse 14 says: “Sin shall not be master over you,” and chapter 6 showed how sin would not be master over the believer. Then the last part of the verse: “For you are not under Law but under grace,” that is what he is going to show in chapter 7, how we “are not under Law but under grace.”

So the same point or principle applies. The death of Christ and our identification with Christ through faith in His death and resurrection releases us from the power and authority of sin, it releases us from the power and authority of the Law.

So come back to Romans 7:1. He makes the statement here and he illustrates it with a simple, clear illustration—marriage relationship. In the marriage relationship you are bound to your spouse as long as they live. When the spouse dies you are set free. That's the simple summary of these two verses. They don't primarily deal with the issue of marriage and divorce and so on. If you're going to study the whole issue of marriage and marriage and divorce you would include these verses in your study, but Paul is not addressing that. He is just keeping it simple.

Let's read it. “For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.” The married woman, don't want to go on a side trail here, but you might be interested. The word “woman” is just the Greek word of “woman.” The word translated “married” is a compound word, basically hupoandros. We are familiar with the word anthropos, the Greek word for “man” and its use in English. Andros, and we use it in some English words as well, is another word for “man.” The word hupo is a preposition that means “to be under or subject.” And the word for married is hupandros because the married woman is the woman under the authority of her husband. So that becomes the word for married here. The married woman is the woman under the authority of the man she married, which is part of the scripture unfolding truth of the relationship.

But the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living. But if her husband dies she is released from the law concerning her husband, meaning she is no longer obligated to her husband. She lived in subjection to her husband, under his authority. He dies, she no longer is under his authority, subject to him. Sometimes it is difficult when a spouse dies, especially if you have been married for some time. You want to continue life as though you were still living in that relationship, still doing the things that that person wanted done. I have oatmeal for breakfast, I like oatmeal. If I die and Marilyn remarries and she continues to make oatmeal for her new husband because I like oatmeal, but he doesn't like oatmeal, he likes scrambled eggs for breakfast, and she continues to make oatmeal there is a problem, right? I mean, I don't care, they can duke it out.

You are free from obligation responsibility to the former husband and it only creates confusion for everyone if you are still trying to live under his authority. The relationship is broken. So then if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she will be called an adulteress. Again, he's not talking about “does divorce break a marriage,” this is just a general rule. If she is married to this man and gets involved with another she is an adulteress. But you know what? If the husband dies she is free from the Law and not bound to that former husband any longer. She can choose to marry or not marry. So then she is not an adulteress if she is joined to another man. That's a simple, clear analogy. The scripture was written for common ordinary people with the intention by God that we should understand it. So we take the simplicity of it. The analogy is clear. So we have people here whose spouse died, they remarried. Fine. They are free from that former obligation and all that was entailed.

All right, that simple illustration, example now is applied in verse 4. You'll note the “therefore” that begins the verse. “Therefore, my brethren.” Again, you can see working through here, and when people get involved in wrong doctrine they can become very touchy about it. It can be difficult to get extricated from those things. He started out in verse 1: “Do you not know, brethren.” He doesn't want to be viewed as talking down to them, but what he has to say they need to understand.

So verse 4: “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ.” When you were identified with Christ back in chapter 6 verse 6: “Knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him in order that our body of sin might be done away with so we should not longer be slaves to sin.” That's the identification he is talking about, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,” the body of Christ. We are identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, as we saw in the opening verses of chapter 6 when we studied that. You also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ. Peter wrote in his epistle, “He Himself [Christ] bore our sins in His body [on the tree] on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” (1 Peter 2:24). That was the theme of chapter 6. Now we're told that when we were identified with Christ in His death on the cross, we were made to die to the Law, the Mosaic Law. We were made to die to it. Doesn't say the Law died, we died to it. Just like in chapter 6 – sin didn't die, we died to sin, its power, its authority over us was broken. Now remember this is applying the marriage analogy. Our spouse is no longer ruling over us, we died to the Law. So in a sense we turn it because of the picture, but the point is the same. Death frees you from the obligation to that relationship. I died. When did I die? I died when Christ died. Then the power of sin and its authority over me was broken, chapter 6. Do I have any obligation, responsibility to sin any longer? No. All responsibility, all authority, its rule in my life is over. I died. Well what about the Mosaic Law? Same point, I died.

So those who would try to put people under the Law, the very thing Christ did was to redeem from the Law. Now we are set free from the Law. We say, well there are aspects of the Law, and we are still under the Law but in a different way. Are you still under sin but in a different way? No. All of chapter 6 belabored the point. So in chapter 7 verse 4: “So therefore, my brethren, you were also made to die to the Law through the body of Christ.” We say, what about Gentiles? Were they ever under the Mosaic Law? Not really. So the point is made clearly. The Law was given to Jews. He has touched on that in the earlier chapters, and the death of Christ frees those Jews from the Law. Why in the world would Jews now try to put Gentiles under the Law that they had been freed from through faith in Christ? I'm a Gentile who believed in Christ and you are trying to put me under the Law that you had to be freed from. Does this make any sense? No.

So it's a simple, clear point that would have application to everyone. If Jews were made to die to the Law through the death of Christ when they believed in Him, why in the world now, would they come to the church at Rome and say you Gentiles have to start keeping the Law? It makes no sense. That's why he starts out this chapter: “Do you not know, brethren.” Many of the Greek commentators translate it, “Are you ignorant?” I mean, what is the problem, brethren? You see what happens when we don't grasp the gospel in its clarity, we have problems. Understand this. We have some get together, we want to narrow it down, and let's just focus on the gospel. So we get together for the gospel. And we have different views of sanctification, we have different views of the place of the Mosaic Law. But that's all right, let's just narrow it down to the basics. You know what? We are in trouble. We say we're clear on justification, but some of us think the Mosaic Law is in force for us as believers. Well you introduce that error, you will have a problem. The gospel is a gospel of grace and its provision encompasses our justification and our sanctification. Justification is our initial declaration of being righteous before a holy God, because the righteousness of Christ is applied to us; our sanctification is living out now the new life we have in Christ.

And that's the rest of verse 4. “You were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another.” We died to the Law so that we could be married to someone else. That's the picture here, to “be joined to another.” How can you talk about going back to the former spouse? You died to that spouse, you have been buried, you are raised a new person with a new husband, if you will, living under his authority. And now you are talking about going and living under an old husband. There is something wrong here. You were “joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”

Back in chapter 6 verse 4: “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” And we noted in our study of this, he's talking about the baptism of the Spirit that identifies us with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. You see, we die with Him, we are buried with Him, so we can be raised to “walk in newness of life,” the end of verse 4. Verse 5: “If we have become united in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.” That freedom has taken place. He who has died is freed from sin. Verse 8: “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.” This emphasis, we just pick that up and repeat it now in chapter 7, with the Law instead of sin. The same thing that happened to us in relationship to sin has happened in relationship to the Mosaic Law.

Now we would be identified as dispensationalists, we believe in a distinction between Israel and the church and some other matters based on a literal interpretation of scripture. Some in reform theology refer to us as antinomian. We do not believe we are under the authority of the Mosaic Law in any way, they say we are antinomian, anti-law, we are lawless because we don't believe we are under the Mosaic Law. I say Paul didn't believe we are under the Mosaic Law, either. What does Romans 7 mean? I mean, the simple analogy. You don't have to get a doctorate in theology. What does he say? It's like a marriage relationship, and the old husband died, he no longer has authority over you, you are no longer in subjection to him. You've been raised to a new life and you have a new spouse, a new authority. Well, now I can go back under the old authority at a different . . . No, no, no. Now I realize all scripture is God-breathed and profitable, but I am not under the authority of the Mosaic Law as the Mosaic Law. Doesn't mean there aren't things I learn from the Mosaic Law, I have things I learn in a variety of ways. But I have to understand the distinction. I learn from what the Bible says about the coming kingdom, but we're not in that kingdom yet. The Bible says: “Beat your plowshares into swords.” It also says: “Beat your swords into plowshares.” I have to understand the context of who is addressed. I still learn from it, but it's not directed to me. I am not under the Mosaic Law.

Well, there are things in the Mosaic Law that are directed to me now. For example, nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament. Yes. So there can be things that come from the Mosaic Law and are now repeated as under the law of Christ for me. I mean, I'm not without law. I'm not under the Mosaic Law, but the law of Christ applies to me, the commandments of Christ apply to me. The Mosaic Law does not. But there are portions of the Mosaic Law that carry over.

Go back to my old illustration. Marilyn has married her new husband, I'm in heaven and enjoying it. Her new husband is having oatmeal but maybe he likes oatmeal, that's why she married him. She found something in men who have oatmeal for breakfast. Well that's okay because that's what he wants and having oatmeal for breakfast is part of the new husband's desire. So the fact that there are things in the Mosaic Law that are repeated now under Christ's authority in my life that He, too, wants me to do, that's fine. I do them, not because they are part of the Mosaic Law, I do them because they are part of the law and commands of my new spouse, so to speak.

So we obey nine of the Ten Commandments, not because they are part of the Mosaic Law. So we have a big thing; should we put the Ten Commandments in the courtroom and in the schools? Well, I don't know that it helps in light of what we are talking about. Do you? I mean, Christ is the end of the Law, the Mosaic Law had a place in the life of Israel until Christ came. And we don't keep the Ten Commandments. Here we are on Sunday morning, but you know what the Sabbath is? “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” We have Seventh Day Adventists in the city and periodically, every other month or so, I get information in the mail. And they are always gracious, complimenting me on my ministry, and telling me they have enclosed some material that I might find helpful. And it is always on the importance of keeping the Sabbath. They are right, we are not worshiping on the Sabbath. We can't make a change and say this is the Christian Sabbath. It ain't. The Sabbath is the seventh, this is the first day. You got stoned for picking up sticks on Saturday in Israel, you didn't get stoned for picking up sticks on Sunday. That's where we begin, and when we don't understand the Mosaic Law we begin to try to do gymnastics to make things fit. And they don't.

So it doesn't mean there is nothing in the Mosaic Law that is not repeated for us today, but we do it because it is repeated for us under the authority of Christ today. Not because it is part of the Mosaic Law.

“We were raised with Christ,” verse 4, “in order that we might bear fruit for God.” Look at Romans 6:22: “But now having been freed from sin.” How? Through the death of Christ and our identification with Him in His death. Sin still lives but we are freed from its power and authority, “and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit.” That word “benefit,” remember, is the word “fruit.” Sometimes in these contexts it would help if they would translate it the same. “You derive your fruit, resulting in sanctification [a life of holiness before God], and the outcome, eternal life.” So here we have in chapter 7 verse 4, you died with Christ and you were raised with Him from the dead so that you could bear fruit for God. Same thing, sanctification is the outcome.

Fruit for God. Turn over to Galatians 5:22: “But the fruit of the Spirit.” And here is what is produced in the life of one who has been joined to Christ, by the Spirit who has identified us with Christ and now dwells within us. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.” The Mosaic Law doesn't speak against these things, but they are produced by the grace of God through the indwelling enablement of the Holy Spirit in a life. “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us walk by the Spirit.” (vv. 24, 25). We are made alive by the work of the Spirit of God when we believed in Christ in identifying us with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Now our lives are to be carried out, not by trying to go back under the Mosaic Law, but by living by the same empowering Spirit.

Come back to Romans 7, verse 4 is the key verse in these first six verses. The first three verses lead up to it, so it can be stated and we can see it more clearly. And then verses 5 and 6 elaborate: “For while we were in the flesh,” that's the same thing as the old man. Back in chapter 6 verse 6: “Knowing that our old self [our old man] was crucified.” “The flesh,” the works of the flesh were set forth in the verses just preceding the ones we read in Galatians 5. Romans 7:5: “While we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.” Now we see part of the problem with the Law that has been touched on before and it will be more fully developed as we move further into chapter 7.

“While we were in the flesh [under the control of the old man, dominated by sin] the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.” Now note, he doesn't say the Law was sin, the Law aroused sinful passions. He'll clarify this further when we get down to verse 14, he'll say the Law is spiritual but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. The problem was that as a fallen, sinful human being God gave the Law to Israel. What did it do? Six hundred thirteen commandments, as the Jews broke them down. It stirred the desire. Sometimes you tell your kids something and you say, “You shouldn't have put that thought in their minds.” What happens? You tell them, “Now there is chocolate cake in the cake pan,” or wherever you put chocolate cake. You tell your child, “You can't eat the cake in the cake pan.” What's the only thing they can think about the rest of the afternoon? Cake in the cake pan. I want that cake so badly. Why? He wouldn't even have thought about it if you hadn't told them, “don't eat the cake that's in the cake pan.” But once they are told and given the command, all of a sudden it's on their mind. That's what happens, that's what the Law did. Don't do this. But I'm a sinful, fallen being. You know what happened in Israel? All of a sudden they wanted to do that worse than anything.

That's what the Law did, it aroused sinful passions. That's the command, that's what the Law did. It didn't have power to save. It could tell you what was right and wrong as a Jew under the authority of God, but as a sinful being it just stirred up those sinful desires and passions.

And the result was we use the parts of “our body to bear fruit for death.” If you were with us in our study of chapter 6, you'll note verses 13-19 were about using the parts of our body as instruments of righteousness or unrighteousness. So he is using the same comparison in Romans 7:5. The result was the sinful passions were stirred up by these commands and we use the members of our body to bear fruit for death, to do sinful things.

So giving the Law to sinful people, even God's Law, the Mosaic Law, the Ten Commandments, doesn't help them be “good” people. We just stir up the passions. Now the Law does reveal how sinful they are and they are accountable for that. Israel was never excused for the sin they committed as their sinful passions were aroused by the Law, because the problem wasn't with the Law, the problem was with their condition as sinful beings.

Verse 6: “But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound.” Is that not stated clearly enough? I just can't understand when I read some of the writings of reformed people and they want to say I'm an antinomian (lawless), because I don't believe we are under the Mosaic Law. We have been released from the Law, “having died to that by which we were bound.” So I am not obligated in any way to the Mosaic Law anymore than I was to sin. Again, put this in perspective. All scripture is God-breathed, there are things I learn from all scripture. But I am not under the authority of the Mosaic Law and required to obey its commands, even though I learn from them.

So now I can do what I want. No. The last part of verse 6: “So that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” We serve now not by trying to keep the commandments of the Mosaic Law, we serve now by living in submission and obedience to the Holy Spirit of God. Now that doesn't mean there are not commands. There are many, many commands. Back in chapter 6 verse 11, we looked at four commands: “Consider yourselves,” that's a command; verse 12, “Do not let sin reign,” that's a command; verse 13, “Do not go on presenting,” that's a command; still in verse 13, “Present yourselves,” that's a command. Four commands in those verses. I thought we weren't under Law. We are not under the Mosaic Law, but we are not without Law. The commands now given to us as those who are joined to Christ, and the enabling power for obedience comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit. So we serve in newness of the Spirit, in the newness that the Spirit of God has brought about by identifying us with Christ, not only His death but in His resurrection. “If any man be in Christ, he is [a new creation] a new creature; the old things [have] passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We truncate the gospel and draw out its power when we imply that we are still under the Mosaic Law. Well now that Christians are saved, now they can live under the Law to be pleasing to God. “This doesn't mean anything,” he says, “it's not that serious a difference, is it? At least we agree on the facts of the gospel.” We don't agree on what the gospel does. It sets you free from the power and authority of sin, it sets you free from the power and authority of the Mosaic Law. What do you mean, I'm going back and try to live by obeying the Mosaic Law? The third way, as is has been identified. No, “we died to that by which we were bound, so we serve in newness of the Spirit, not in oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:6).

When Paul talks about the letter and that whole issue, he's talking about the Mosaic Law. Back in Romans 2:29: “He is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.” He has already touched on this. It's not as a result of keeping the Law, the letter, the ten words. They came from the fact that God inscribed on tablets of stone in letters the Ten Commandments which gave a summary in a condensed from of the Law as it is given beginning in Exodus 19 and following. So it's called the letters, the letter, the ten letters. So it's by the Spirit, not by the letter.

Turn over to 2 Corinthians 3:5: “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter [the Mosaic Law] but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Some poor, deluded people come to this verse as though we shouldn't be taking the Bible too much in its detail because the letter kills but the Spirit gives life. That's not what he's talking about, he's talking about the Mosaic Law. The letter kills, that's all it could do, reveal how sinful people were, show them as justly condemned. But the Spirit gives life. Verse 17: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” “So why would we go back to the Mosaic Law,” Paul says to the Jews. Why would you Gentiles allow yourselves to be put under the Mosaic Law? We have a new relationship, new life, a new master, and new results—the fruit which is the fruit of the Spirit.

Let's pray together. Thank You, Lord, for Your word. Thank You for the power of the gospel, the beautiful simplicity and clarity of the good news of Jesus Christ that when we believe in Him we are set free, we are made new, the power and authority of sin, of the Mosaic Law. Lord, we have a new relationship, a relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior, the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Now we live by your grace and the power and enablement that He provides. We are thankful that we are not called to go back into bondage to a Law, to commandments which no one could keep because of their own sinful condition. But when You made us free, we were made free indeed. Now we serve in the glorious liberty of the ministry of the indwelling Spirit. We give You the praise. In Christ's name. Amen.